1989 Nissan Skyline GT-R
As one of Japan’s most celebrated performance cars, the Nissan Skyline GT-R has developed an immense racing pedigree that includes over 200 race wins, five consecutive championship wins in the all Japanese Touring Car Championships and the unofficial lap record for a production car at the world-famous Nurbürgring. Every aspect of the Skyline GT-R, from the aerodynamics to body rigidity, has been fine-tuned through competitive racing.
For 16 years, the GT-R badge gathered dust in a Nissan back-room, until in August 1989 it enjoyed a spectacular revival. In keeping with its pedigree, the R32 Рa sleek, purposeful-looking coup̩ Рwas built with competition in mind and even before it reached the racetrack, its technical specification was to cause a real stir amongst the opposition.
However, no-one could have predicted just how successful the R32 would be. Entered in Group A of the Japanese Touring Car Championship in 1990, it annihilated the opposition, claiming 29 wins in 29 races. The GT-R claimed another important victory that year, winning the famous race on the Macao street circuit. Finally appearing on the European motorsport scene in 1991, the by now infamous Skyline won many events, including one of the most significant races in the touring car calendar, the Spa 24-Hours.
As a road car, the R32 GT-R reached new heights of sophistication. Multi-link suspension front and rear, electronically controlled intelligent four-wheel drive and four-wheel steering, a 2.6-litre 24-valve straight-six powerhouse of an engine boosted to 280PS by a pair of ceramic turbochargers – the R32 pushed forward the boundaries of supercar engineering.
In Detail
| tags | r32 |
| submitted by | Richard Owen |
| type | Series Production Car |
| built at | Japan |
| price $ | $ 45,000 |
| engine | Water Cooled RB26DETT Inline-6 |
| position | Front Longitudinal |
| aspiration | Twin Turbo |
| valvetrain | DOHC 4 Valves / Cyl |
| displacement | 2568 cc / 156.7 in³ |
| bore | 86 mm / 3.39 in |
| stroke | 73.7 mm / 2.9 in |
| compression | 8.5:1 |
| power | 208.8 kw / 280.0 bhp @ 6800 rpm |
| specific output | 109.03 bhp per litre |
| bhp/weight | 195.8 bhp per tonne |
| torque | 353 nm / 260.4 ft lbs |
| redline | 8000 |
| driven wheels | Full Time 4WD |
| front tires | 225 / 50R16 92V |
| rear tires | 225 / 50R16 92V |
| front brakes | Vented Discs |
| rear brakes | Vented Discs |
| steering | Rack & Pinion w/Power Assist |
| f suspension | Multi Link |
| r suspension | Multi Link |
| curb weight | 1430 kg / 3153 lbs |
| wheelbase | 2615 mm / 103.0 in |
| front track | 1480 mm / 58.3 in |
| rear track | 1480 mm / 58.3 in |
| length | 4545 mm / 178.9 in |
| width | 1755 mm / 69.1 in |
| height | 1340 mm / 52.8 in |
| transmission | 5-Speed Manual w Overdrive |
| final drive | 4.11:1 |
| top speed | ~180 kph / 111.8 mph |
| 0 – 60 mph | ~5.6 seconds |
| 0 – 1/4 mile | ~13.9 seconds |
